Trendspots in Online Education

RETHINKING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

The Trendspots series explores the customer experience across devices, platforms, and industries – offering digestible, survey-based insights on the dots that connect the customer journey.

Verndale recently surveyed 320 US residents 18-55, who have attended at least some level of college, to explore the experience and perceptions of online or distance education programs. Survey data reflects a growing popularity and “mainstreaming” of online or “blended” (mix of online and on-campus) education, as well as a shift in the perceived value and overall quality of these programs.

Findings also point, however, to a lingering disconnect with the expectation that these programs can deliver a traditional “college experience” – which suggests an ongoing need for colleges and universities to rethink and reshape the construct of the student experience in the years ahead.